


employee benefits (may include matchmaking)

by kotokei



Series: K Rarepair Week 2017 Fics [6]
Category: K (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Getting Together, Multi, because coffee + cats equals best, by coffee shop i mean cat cafe, coffee shop + flower shop + tattoo parlor AU let's go, ive just given up on capitalization, on the list of people who can't handle crushes: bandou, totsuka is a bit of a schemer and kusanagi is Tired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-11
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-23 11:57:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9656513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kotokei/pseuds/kotokei
Summary: mikoto ends up using his inheritance money on a flower shop, a tattoo parlor, and a cat cafe. no one's particularly expecting the easily embarrassed barista to fall (sometimes literally) for the calm tattoo artist who comes in every day, and no one's particularly expecting the flirty florist to chase the really nice cashier, but it happens anyways.(totsuka just...helps it all along, a little.)





	

mikoto is quieter than usual on the day that he gets his inheritance, but there's only so much of anna's worried face that he can take, and eventually he admits to them that he doesn't know what to do with the money.

totsuka, fresh off of switching hobbies, immediately starts suggesting different possibilities, different investments (including building a ski lodge, which kusanagi vetoes after a particularly horrific image of what could go wrong; a skating rink, which kusanagi again vetoes because it just sounds like inviting visits to the hospital; and a petting zoo, which kusanagi vetoes because he already knows who would be responsible for anything and everything regarding that venture, despite the way anna's eyes light up).

tatara pouts every single time an idea is rejected, but easily perks back up with every new thought, and eventually he starts waxing poetry about a flower shop, easily winning anna's support. kusanagi supposes that this can't be too dangerous as long as they keep him away from cacti and make sure he doesn't order anything venomous, but he's barely voiced his agreement before totsuka's off again, this time cheerfully suggesting a cat cafe.

kusanagi kind of wants to veto this as well, but anna is looking up at him, the hope so strong that he sighs and allows the idea through - cat cafes are popular, after all, and cats are a safer idea than a random assortment of animals. he does like the idea of a cafe in general anyways, especially with how much he makes drinks and cooks for them already.

the youngest adult, however, isn't done. totsuka's face is nothing short of delighted when he thinks of another possible investment - a tattoo parlor. kusanagi isn't sure whether or not to laugh when he first brings it up, but it's clear that this is what tatara wants most: he launches into a long, long sales pitch for it, and considering the fact that he wouldn't be the one actually doing the tattooing, kusanagi finds it hard to discourage. he still tries to argue for the cafe (or even the flower shop) instead, unsure of the market for tattoos in their area. a few times, they appeal to the third member of their trio for his thoughts, but suoh only looks steadily more annoyed.

izumo can tell when mikoto reaches his limit, because he finally leans his head back on the sofa rest and says, "we'll try all three."

this brings totsuka up short, and he blinks wonderingly over at the redhead.

"really?"

mikoto grunts an affirmation. tatara beams, high-fiving anna. kusanagi considers trying to change his mind, but it sounds like his friend has had enough, so he leaves it alone, instead turning his mind over to coming up with a game plan for this new project.

no matter how he looks at it, it'll be a lot of work and a lot of information he's going to have to learn, and fast.

sigh. 

* * *

they buy out three shops that are right next to each other, the last one sitting right at the corner of two busy streets.

it takes a few months to get everything set up, but they end up having kusanagi run the cafe while totsuka manages the tattoo parlor he had wanted so badly and mikoto takes care of the little flower shop, with anna's help (her contributions tend to center around which plants to sell).

(the people hired to remodel the building had looked very confused when they found out _mikoto_  was the one in charge of "the phoenix's floral haven".)

izumo ends up hiring a promising young man by the name of akagi shouhei, who gets a childhood friend of his named bandou saburouta to join as well. he puts shouhei at the register, counting on his personality and perception to pull in and keep customers. bandou seems a little clumsy and doesn't have shouhei's charm or ability to read the atmosphere, but he tries his best and seems to be earnest and hard-working, so kusanagi hires him regardless (it helps that the black-haired man is willing to take care of all the cats and their fur).

mikoto scares away quite a few potential employees, but neither chitose you nor fujishima kosuke appear to mind his intimidating aura. chitose seems to be well-versed in flower language, especially on the subject of romance (or so he claims; mikoto doesn't particularly know enough to contradict him if he's wrong anyways). fujishima, meanwhile, is helpful in that he seems to know what he's doing and what needs to be done - quiet and unassuming and gentle, he gives the air of being someone the customers can talk to easily.

totsuka takes longer to find his hires, which he had expected since it would be difficult to find tattoo artists that don't already have their own studios. luckily for him, once chitose finds out that he's looking for employees, the flirt immediately offers to help.

this help comes in the form of dewa masaomi and their apprentice, a young blond named eric solt. the older artist, cooperative and personable, seems to enjoy listening to him talk about his venture, but they're firm about what they want from him (which isn't much beyond allowing eric to stay under their tutelage). the younger artist, incredibly quiet (speaking only when asked directly) and tense, hunches protectively into himself in his chair until totsuka agrees to letting him in as well and only unwinds somewhat then.

he seems to relax even more when totsuka compliments his work, though, while going over the portfolios that dewa handed over at their potential employer's request.

"he's only going to keep improving," the black-haired artist promises, a hint of quiet but fierce pride in their voice. totsuka makes an approving hum as eric flushes a little at his mentor's words, squirming and looking away.

"yes, i've decided! when can you guys start?" 

* * *

the three make no secret of their affiliations with each other, totsuka taking his two employees over to kusanagi's cat cafe once it's time for lunch break on the very first day. he's not surprised to see mikoto and his crew already there, the redhead stretched out comfortably on a sofa. chitose waves cheerfully at them at a table nearby, calling for dewa to sit with him, fujishima acknowledging them before going back to lavishing a maine coon with affection.

when dewa looks over at totsuka to see if he has any objections, he waves his hand with a smile, "go ahead! i'm not your boss during lunch break, i'm just someone else eating here."

they nod at him and tell eric to play nice (which makes the younger's expression go simultaneously mortified and exasperated) before joining their best friend, leaving the blond to hover a bit uncertainly before sitting down awkwardly in a corner away from everyone else, staring at all the cats lazing around.

kusanagi comes over to where totsuka's sitting next to mikoto with lunch for the three of them and anna, sending shouhei to take the other four's orders. totsuka watches curiously as chitose gives akagi a slow once-over before grinning flirtatiously and asking if the waiter's also on the menu.

dewa sighs at this, dropping their face into their hands in annoyed secondhand embarrassment.

shouhei just laughs, however, smiling right back as he replies with "not right now, but maybe some other time," prompting dewa to look right back up with their eyebrows raised in disbelief.

soon enough, though, he gets their actual orders and takes them to kusanagi, who gets up to help another hire named kamamoto with the cooking, sending akagi on his own lunch break. chitose immediately waves the younger man over, pulling out the chair next to him with a flourish, and shouhei obligingly sits down next to the flirt with his own meal.

the florist immediately scoots his chair a little closer, knocking elbows with the waiter, "so, akagi-kun, right? can i, i mean we, get to know you a little better? maybe starting with your type?"

"don't even," dewa sighs, reaching across the table to give chitose's forehead a good, solid poke. "his shenanigans aside, it would be nice if we became acquaintances, at least. i have the feeling we'll be seeing a lot of each other since the owners are such good friends."

shouhei nods, "sure! i'm always up for making new friends and yeah, we can definitely hang out and stuff. as for my type, well..."

in the teasing, considering pause that follows, bandou sweeps over, putting down chitose and dewa's orders before hesitating a moment awkwardly by the side of the table. he shakes himself out of it, though, blurting out, "i-i'm shouhei's good friend, so i'm sitting with him, if that's okay!"

chitose looks like he's about to pout a little over this, but dewa cuts in before he can say anything, "sure, go ahead. it's nice to meet you, akagi-san's good friend."

the barista and busboy nods jerkily, "thanks, it's, it's nice to meet you, t-wait, wait, th-that was a bad joke, wasn't it?!"

"pretty awful, yeah. that's dewa, they're fond of wordplay. and bad puns," chitose answers, cheering up at the opportunity to deliver a light jab at his best friend.

"i can introduce myself, you know. anyways..." a pause as they read his nametag, "bandou-san, just like with a--bandou-san?"

saburouta hadn't been looking at them during the entire time when he was getting seated, but his gaze had whipped over at their little quip earlier and just stuck, eyes widening. "u-uh..."

"san-chan? you okay?" shouhei looks a little worried when his longtime friend doesn't respond. however, at that moment, dewa's arm happens to brush bandou's when they turn fully to look at him, which snaps him out of his stupor. he jumps, going ramrod straight at the contact before coughing and smoothing down imaginary wrinkles, "yeah, yeah, i'm fine, um, a little tired, was nervous for the big first day, that's all, you know how it is, ahaha...."

chitose snickers, having already guessed what's going on. bandou glowers at that, especially since he had already seen the older man flirting with shouhei earlier before totsuka and his two had entered and disliked how insincere he seemed.

(meanwhile, away from that table, a few cats have nestled near eric's general area while he eats, eyes on his phone. fujishima, drawn to the cluster of cats, sits down at the table with the blond after asking earnestly if he could eat with him, which eric clumsily allows. 

totsuka looks at chitose using pickup line after pickup line on an amused shouhei, at bandou tripping over his own attempts to compliment a bemused dewa while simultaneously occasionally glaring over at chitose, at eric's awkward, quiet responses to fujishima's soft-spoken and gentle inquiries, and smiles beatifically.

kusanagi shivers.) 

* * *

it's definitely not a coincidence that totsuka sends dewa over for coffee every day after that, getting mikoto to send chitose as well, while encouraging eric to go over to the florists' to "work on drawing all those different flowers" (he suspects that the redhead complies simply because he can't be bothered to care about totsuka's motives).

on the other hand, kusanagi knows exactly what his younger friend is up to. he decides to wait before intervening, if necessary, however - it's strangely good for business (mostly of the female persuasion) that bandou trips over his own feet way more often whenever dewa is at the cafe, that chitose flirts with shouhei whenever he's the one visiting.

and truth be told, he's a little amused by the way saburouta goes through the motions of making whatever dewa ordered that day after work ends, over and over like he's practicing for the next time they choose that particular drink (he's asked them which drink is theirs versus totsuka's or eric's so often that they just preemptively tell him whenever they pick up their order now), by how shouhei looks at the newest batch of flowers from mikoto's shop and smiles like he's the only one in on some strange secret.

he's also slightly reluctant to call it cute when bandou nervously asks dewa every day what they thought of the previous day's drink, though this doesn't stop him from shooting totsuka an exasperated look when the tattoo parlor owner suggests that his primary employee go over after the parlor's and cafe's hours to help taste-test possible new drinks.

(he doesn't say no, though. surprisingly, it's not a total waste of ingredients either, saburouta motivated enough to create some surprisingly good blends. it doesn't escape kusanagi's notice that they're all tailored to what bandou knows of masaomi's tastes.)

still, despite those two spending more time together, it initially appears that chitose and akagi are going to come towards a resolution sooner (he's not sure about fujishima and eric, who come in sometimes during breaks that are scheduled suspiciously at the same time). however, it also becomes increasingly clear that those two are an impasse, stuck with a problem very different from bandou's clumsy attempts at flirting and dewa's misconstruing his advances as him awkwardly trying to make friends with them.

shouhei and chitose are on the same page in terms of both knowing that the other's flirting with them, but, while charmed by you's attempts, shouhei doesn't appear to think that the other is serious about pursuing an actual relationship  with him as opposed to casual flirting. this isn't helped by chitose hitting on customers whenever he's at the cafe (kusanagi's not sure you wants a serious relationship, to be honest, but totsuka seems to think so, justifying this with the claim that "he only brings shouhei flowers!").

this is the equilibrium that stays for quite a while.

* * *

 

things come to a head for the two pairs one day when chitose and dewa are both at the cafe for lunch.

you, aware of bandou's crush, plays up the amount of contact he usually shares with dewa, taking advantage of the other's preoccupation with brainstorming for work to get closer into their personal space before they notice and shoo him off distractedly, making annoyed noises at his interference. they hardly notice when he messes a little with a lock of their hair, even going as far as to brush his lips against it, but bandou does, and makes an entirely wrong assumption.

of course, that's when two women come into the shop and chitose bounds off away from his partner to flirt with them instead, near to where he had been all over dewa. bandou shoots an incredulous look over at the table, but the artist, if they've noticed what's going on, doesn't appear to care at all.

and then, when the girls leave, chitose starts shooting corny pickup lines at shouhei again, the cheesy nature of these lines enough to get the younger to laugh, occasionally shooting back overused ones of his own. it's this that gets bandou to finally intervene rather than his own feelings of disappointment and devastation, marching over to stand before his friend.

"what do you think you're doing?!" he demands. you looks a little annoyed at the interruption, but answers anyways, "well, we _were_  having fun". akagi backs this statement up with a smile, shrugging helplessly. bandou gapes at his support.

"wait, shouhei! you're not falling for it, are you? this guy's just a shameless heartbreaker, he's not serious about anything," saburouta flails, gesturing wildly at the man behind him.

"i don't know what you mean, i can get plenty serious," the florist retorts in mock-offense, but he's smiling.

"you--! don't play innocent! you're flirting with shouhei and you were totally hitting on those girls even though you're already dating d-dewa! and unless they're okay with th-that, you'll just hurt both of them!" bandou cries, waving a finger at the flirt dramatically, still standing half in front of a surprised shouhei.

chitose smirks at this, something decidedly a little devilish in his grin, "nah, i'm not 'playing' innocent. we're close and the kind of bond we have is one-of-a-kind, but dewa and i aren't together like _that_...luckily for you."

"wh-wh-don't say that i-in front of--!" bandou turns so red that shouhei is slightly worried that his childhood friend is going to combust from all the blood rushing to his face.

"don't worry, i know that expression. they're completely focused on whatever they're drawing right now, so they're pretty much dead to the world. i had to wave my hand in front of their face to get them to snap out of it during a fire drill back in college," chitose reassures. and true to his word, dewa doesn't seem to have noticed a word of what's going on, too absorbed in a new design that they're now putting down on paper.

bandou's blush fades bit by bit when it becomes clear that his crush hasn't been revealed, but he maintains his defensive posture. "well, that still doesn't mean you'll treat shouhei well! i mean, it's one thing if it's something c-casual for both of you, but..."

"san-chan," akagi calls gently, placing his hand on the other's shoulder, "it's okay. thanks for the help, but i'm already aware it's not a serious thing. lunch break's almost over though, so we should be getting ready. see you later, chitose." the cashier smiles, waving as he leaves and ducks into the back.

technically, that should be a good thing, but bandou doesn't really feel like he won so instead he deflates, turning to follow the other inside. you just frowns thoughtfully.

"hey. bandou."

saburouta pauses, looking over his shoulder. "what?"

"i think you and i could use a talk," chitose says, "pretty sure it'll be mutually beneficial. come over after your shift here. to mikoto-san's, i mean."

the barista's initial response is to immediately refuse, and he opens his mouth to do just that. but you looks meaningfully over at where his partner is frowning down at their own work, and bandou closes his mouth again, swallowing.

he is kind of _stuck_ with that...situation, after all. and maybe this way he can get a better idea of whether this guy really wants to date shouhei or not.

"fine. i'll be there."

* * *

when bandou gets there, chitose and fujishima have almost finished closing up shop. fujishima greets him genially before the other leaves in the direction of the tattoo parlor (later, dewa tells him that the florist has been picking eric up every night after work).

chitose gets right down to business after his coworker's out of earshot.

"so. i like shouhei, and you like dewa. shouhei's your best friend and dewa's mine. let's trade some info."

"hold on," bandou says, with a firmness in his tone that surprises himself, "i need to know if you actually like shouhei or not, 'cause he's really earnest and stuff and you're. you. i don't want to see him hurt, and i _really_ don't want to have a hand in helping you hurt him."

chitose sighs, a low noise, "that's fair. i'm not sure how i can prove it to you, but i'm flirting with other people too 'cause it doesn't look like he's interested and i'm very lonely and single."

"so if you guys were actually dating, you wouldn't be like this," bandou sounds skeptical.

"no, i wouldn't. you can ask dewa to make sure, but i'm not a terrible boyfriend," chitose promises. bandou scowls at him, "you said you guys weren't dating!"

you laughs, looking a little sheepish, "we're not. i didn't mean that i was their boyfriend, ever, just that they've seen me with other people before."

"...oh," bandou replies, making a mental note to perhaps do just that. dewa doesn't seem to sugarcoat anything chitose's done that's foolish or reprehensible, so he's pretty sure he can count on their judgment.

"i really, seriously like shouhei. otherwise, i wouldn't have asked you to meet me, since we're not exactly the best of friends."

there's something about his intensely serious and genuine gaze, the absence of the laughing carefree look bandou's begun to associate with him, that convinces saburouta at least somewhat that the other's speaking the truth.

he holds that gaze a bit longer, however, if only to strike back at chitose's earlier move. when he's decided that they've both been silent long enough, he relents with a gusty sigh, "if you're really that serious about trying, then you probably just have to stop flirting with other people in front of him. since he thinks you're flirting with him just because that's how you are."

chitose tilts his head to the side in surprise, "huh. what do you know, you already sound like them. thought that only happened after people got together."

bandou flushes a little at the reminder of his own problem, but he only says, "and shouhei really likes big romantic gestures and stuff, so there's something you can try, i guess."

"i can do that," you nods, already considering a few different ideas and looking thoughtfully back at the shop he works at.

bandou coughs, trying to be subtle and not particularly succeeding, "so...what about...you know."

"oh! right, yeah," chitose fidgets, hemming and hawing a little until he finally just sighs, "dewa's, well. it'll be hard for you 'cause they're just not inclined towards romance."

"what does _that_  mean?" saburouta asks, starting to feel his heart sink towards his stomach.

"there's not much to explain, is there? i've never seen them show any romantic interest in anyone. i can put in a good word for you and stuff, but it probably won't do much, especially since they just think you're trying to be friends...and because they rely pretty heavily on their own thoughts, so mine won't sway them too much."

maybe saburouta's emotions show on his face too clearly, because chitose backtracks, "but h-hey, if you tell them you like them in the not-just-friends way, you'll at least make some progress, yeah?"

"progress towards getting rejected...i mean, they've most likely been confessed to by others, right? and if those people didn't interest them..." _people who are way better than an incompetent barista_ , bandou thinks to himself, feeling even more morose.

"hey, don't shoot yourself down _for_ them. just...at least try something? do something practical, they won't really care for big romantic gestures. and remember, they'll definitely still be friends with you after, even if they reject you, i know _that_  for a fact," chitose consoles.

bandou just nods. yeah, there's nothing to los--

"wait, why do you know that for a fact?!" 

* * *

bandou doesn't actually try anything, not for a few days, choosing to mope around instead. 

on the third or fourth day after his chat with chitose, dewa has had enough of simply watching him do so. 

"...chitose."

"yeah?"

"has...bandou looked...down to you, lately?" they ask.

chitose shrugs - while he's pretty sure he knows why, it's not like he can just tell dewa about what they discussed, "a little, yeah."

"maybe you could talk to him, find out what's going on. he'd probably appreciate you being there for him," you suggests, perhaps trying to make up for his previous prank.

dewa doesn't agree on the spot, but the considering look on their face is probably a decent enough start. 

* * *

bandou is tidying up the cafe, sweeping cat hair into a neat pile when the bell rings, announcing a new arrival.

"one moment!" he calls, kneeling down and picking up the little tray of fluff.

"take your time," comes the reply, and he shoots upward so quickly, he displaces a good amount of the fur right back onto the floor.

"dewa? what are you---hold on, i-i'll be right back," saburouta promises, hurrying to dispose of the contents of the tray before he can drop all of it.

when he returns, they're kneeling next to the black cat they have a noticeable soft spot for, gently petting the fur near her neck. he doesn't have the heart to tell them that that's probably contributing more to the mess he _just_ half-cleaned up, so he wipes his clammy hands on his apron and sits down on a cushion nearby.

"so...why're you here? i mean, not that you can't come over or anything! or that you're not welcome and i don't like seeing you here! but you got your usual coffee in the morning, so..."

"it's just..." they pause for a moment. "you've seemed kind of upset lately. so i was just wondering if you needed anything."

"you....you noticed?" he asks, kind of touched at the confirmation that they do pay attention to him. dewa frowns, "it was kind of hard not to notice. you're pretty expressive...not that that answers the question."

taking the hint, bandou shrugs, "i don't really know if there's anything anyone could do about this, so uh. i guess not."

he can tell the answer isn't what they wanted, but they don't say so, choosing to fiddle with their jacket instead for a few long, silent moments, before decisively unzipping it.

"oh, should i turn the AC u---wHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

dewa stares at him with a deadpan expression, pausing to glance at his hands on theirs, "showing you the first tattoo i got, which is from the person who i apprenticed for. i'm not suddenly taking all my clothes off, don't worry."

"r-right, yeah, haha, sorry, wait, your first tattoo?" he retracts his hands when it becomes clear that they only took off their jacket so they could roll up the sleeve of the shirt inside.

"yes. it's probably my favorite design of the ones i have...it's special for multiple reasons, least of which is because it's my first," they reply, a small but warm smile on their face.

"it's...wow," bandou breathes, looking at the ink decorating their shoulder and upper arm, taking in the inked bird in full flight and the trail it leaves in a night sky full of stars, the way the gradients interact behind the soaring wings.

"i don't think beautiful begins to describe it," he says, suddenly shy. it feels strangely intimate to look at the breathtaking art that is so special to them, but he can't stop staring in awe. dewa seems flattered rather than uncomfortable, at any rate, not making any move to roll their sleeve back down.

"i thought it might take your mind off of whatever's been bothering you... at least for a moment," they explain, looking a little pleased.

bandou swallows. chitose's words echo in his mind again.

he makes the decision. 

"p-please wait a minute! don't look over!" he begs before taking off, running to the coffee machine with dewa's confused assent trailing after. he knows their favorite blend from him by now, muscle memory taking him through the steps. chitose had advised him to be practical, and he knows they at least like his drinks, just like he knows what small sweets they prefer with this particular coffee.

when he's done, he carefully brings the tray over, making sure they're not peeking.

"okay...you can. you can. here. g-go ahead and look now."

dewa does as he says, eyes widening at what he wrote in icing on each small treat: the little cakes read "please go out with me" when put in the correct order. when they look to the coffee cup, a "will you be my romantic partner? check: yes [] no [] maybe []" message greets them in marker where names usually go.

"bandou..."

he rubs at his cheek nervously, "i've liked you for a while now, so it's not like i'm saying this just because you let me see something important to you. and i'm not trying to compare or anything, but how much i like you is...important to me. so i wanted to tell you."

they're silent and perhaps still a little shocked, but there's no outright rejection or expression of disgust, which is already better than expected, so he continues, "it's! it's totally okay if you say no! or if you need more time or anything, i just. i'm putting it out there."

"and...what if i say yes?" dewa asks, looking a little cautious.

bandou's not sure why a positive answer would require such an expression, but he answers anyways.

"t-then we'd be d-dating?" the thought flusters him.

"......if we start dating, then...if i tell you to slow down, or to stop completely, will you listen?"

bandou blinks. this is way further than he had thought he would get. he still nods enthusiastically, though: "yeah, definitely! a-and you can call it off at any time, of course!"

dewa hums in acknowledgement. and then,

"well, i don't want all of this to go to waste, so i suppose i'll say yes," they tease, smearing a little icing into the little box for yes on the coffee cup with their spoon (which is when bandou realizes he forgot to bring the marker with him).

"w-wait...you said yes?" bandou stutters, staring wide-eyed at the other. dewa raises an eyebrow, "should i not have?"

"no! i mean, no, this is amazing, but i never thought you'd actually say 'yes' and. really? you really said...?" he questions, to which they nod, looking fondly exasperated at his disbelief.

"oh my god..." he sits down hard instead of kneeling like he had been while they were taking in what was written. "oh my god, we're dating! yes!"

they watch in bemused amusement as he bounces up, taking the befuddled cat with him, and celebrates. 

* * *

"well, doesn't _someone_  seem cheerful," chitose teases the next day, smirking when bandou goes by looking like he's on cloud nine.

dewa kicks him lightly under the table, but they're smiling too. 

* * *

meanwhile, chitose waits until friday night to make his move. he switches shifts with a new hire by the name of yata misaki (incredibly fitting for a florist), and spends the latter half of his time at the little shop on friday breaking countless petals off the assortment of carefully chosen flowers he has with him (all paid for, because you is bold, but he's not bold enough to see what mikoto would think of him using all these plants for free).

after he's absolutely sure he has enough, he takes one of the hot glue guns they use for fake plant arrangements and gets to work sticking the various petals carefully onto seven big pieces of cardboard. when he's satisfied with what he's made, he carefully wraps all of his handiwork up and heads out to shouhei's apartment, making sure he's a little early to the other's residence. just before he gets there, his cell phone notification sound goes off and he checks it to find that dewa's texted him a simple "good luck".

he's about to send back a cheery "thanks! <3" because he's glad to have a supportive best friend when his phone vibrates again, showing him their next text: "don't fuck up the signs this time and choose a better song than last time", and he takes it all back. still though, he begrudgingly admits that the reminders aren't _completely_ unwarranted and when he gets to where he knows shouhei's window will be able to see him, he checks the positions of the signs on the ground behind him and double-checks his tablet to make sure he has the right song ready to go.

when he's  absolutely certain he's prepared, he texts shouhei to "look outside your living room window plz and ty". there's a telltale creaking sound moments later, and he looks up to see akagi staring down at him in pleasant confusion. he waves and then presses play, music loud enough to go the distance (he's sure of this, had an annoyed dewa help him test with the promise of paying them back in coffee). finally, he goes and flips each sign, piecing together:

"Will" "You" "Go" "Out" "With" "Me" "?"

the words are composed of many, many flower petals, the color coordination of them all showing the care taken while planning the whole thing.

his phone vibrates, and he looks up to see shouhei holding his, so he fumbles for it and picks up the call,

"so, what do you think?"

"then...this is for real? as in, you really do want to be boyfriends?" shouhei sounds surprised but hopeful.

"yeah! i know i wasn't obvious about it at all, but i've been pretty serious about you for a while now," chitose admits, rubbing the nape of his neck sheepishly.

he smiles up, genuine in his romantic affections for the first time in a long while. "i really like you."

shouhei beams right back, clearly visible despite the distance, "well, i happen to really like you too, so i guess we're dating now."

he laughs when chitose cheers. 

* * *

dewa's teaching bandou how to dance (good lord, the man tries so, so hard, but he has two left feet and the grace of an elephant, especially as flustered and nervous as he gets when they try to correct anything) when their phone sounds out their best friend's special ringtone and they pause the music.

"so? how'd it go?"

the almost-squeal is enough to tell them all they need to know (but chitose continues with his excited chatter anyways). 

* * *

a few days later, kusanagi watches as fujishima picks up a cat and places it carefully in eric's arms before cuddling the two of them while bandou attempts latte art to impress an amused dewa and chitose tucks a pretty flower behind shouhei's ear, explaining what it means in different cultures enthusiastically.

"so," he starts, turning to totsuka with a bemused look, "when did we become a matchmaking service on top of everything else we're already doing...?"

totsuka's eyes light up in something like glee, "oh, great idea! we could start--"

kusanagi groans.

 

**Author's Note:**

> hmm...i don't ever really know what to say in these notes. i guess it'll be nice for this to exist if anyone ships either of these pairings? or just likes seeing HOMRA alphabet kids stuff, like i do. the thought that perhaps someone out there does as well is pretty motivating, even if i struggle pretty mightily with writing/being okay with my own writing. x) 
> 
> ahhhhh, we still have four fics to go....even though they'll be late for rarepair week, i'll continue onward. as always, thanks for being here. :)


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